Class 5-6 play performances of The Oddity will take place on November 21 at 9:00 a.m. and on November 22 at 9:00 a.m. and 4:oo p.m. in the community room. The final performance will be followed by a class potluck at 5:30 p.m.
The Oddity is a timeless, fantastical tale, complete with song and dance, of a quirky Professor Odessa, his companion, Abeena, a honeybee that only he can talk to, and their creation, Penelopea, a pea plant with magical powers.
After winning a horticultural award named “The Helen” in Troy, NY, he is ready to return to his home and garden back in Ithaca, NY. However, his course is altered when an Erie Canal barge person and her mule unwittingly set him off down the Hudson River instead of the Erie Canal. His effort to return to Ithaca and the mishaps that hinder them take the professor all across the United States and acquaint him with some colorful locals along the way. Finally, after being held captive in Calypso, NC, he is returned to Ithaca where he must distinguish himself from many imposters.
The play is lengthy, but captivating. It is full of nuance and similar to an epic tale about another Ithacan so you may want to familiarize yourself with Homer’s Odyssey as a primer for the play. We look forward to seeing you there.
—Robert Kaczor, Class 5-6 Teacher
Mr. Kaczor’s chalk drawing, and details, for The Oddity
I very much enjoyed the play last Friday morning, especially seeing how earnestly the the children carried their roles and had made them their own, how almost flawlessly they had memorized their texts and how they cooperated beautifully with each other in the many transitions. The props, decor and special effects were cleverly designed. Thank you Mr. Kaczor for this special twist of the Odyssey as the Oddity and for your enchanting blackboard drawing. I hope that one day this story will become an illustrated children’s book with your name on it!